Minorities in UK face less discrimination than in France, Germany or US
A report has found that the UK is a better place to live as a minority than other major western democracy such as the USA, Germany or France
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The UK is a better place to live as a minority than other major western democracies such as the USA, Germany or France, a report has suggested.
Despite the findings, many black and Asian people say they still face discrimination in their everyday lives.
Ahead of the 75th anniversary this month of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to Britain, the British Future think tank has gathered a “state of the nation” picture of public attitudes on race, identity and prejudice.
The poll found that two thirds (67 per cent) of ethnic minority respondents said black and Asian people face discrimination in their everyday lives in Britain.
Jamaican immigrants welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship HMT 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury
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But when asked to say whether Britain is a better or worse place for people from an ethnic minority background to live compared with other major western democracies, 80 per cent of ethnic minority respondents said it is better.
The data was gathered by Focaldata polling in March and April this year and was based on almost 2,500 people – 1,000 from an ethnic minority background, 944 white people and a boosted sample of 300 black Caribbean respondents.
Among white British respondents, the poll found that 73 per cent think Britain is a better place for people from an ethnic minority background to live.
On black and Asian people facing discrimination in their everyday lives in Britain, 17 per cent of white respondents and 10 per cent of ethnic minority respondents disagreed that this is the case.
A total of 48 per cent of white British respondents and 60 per cent of ethnic minorities said they believe it is easier to “get on” in Britain if you are white.
While two thirds of people said they would welcome a less heated debate about race in the country’s politics and society.
Looking at whether Britain has made significant progress on race over the last 25 years, 68 per cent of ethnic minority respondents and 71 per cent of the white majority group said it has.
But a majority of all groups agreed that it needs to make “much more progress on race in the next 25 years”.
The report also focused on awareness of Windrush, finding that only 55 per cent were able to pick the ship’s name which “has become symbolic of Commonwealth migration to Britain” from a list of four.
Sunder Katwala, director of British Future and co-author of the report, said committing to an “ambitious agenda for change in the quarter-century to come would be a fitting legacy” of the Windrush, with a focus on the progress still required on race in Britain.
Looking at whether Britain has made significant progress on race over the last 25 years, 68 per cent of ethnic minority respondents and 71 per cent of the white majority group said it has
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He said: “Bitter because there’s still injustice, not just around Windrush Generation, but structural racism. And that is why we need to end the scandal this year.
“This Government has the power, right now, to give proper compensation; to recognise its failures; to right the wrongs done to the Windrush generation; and to give people proper citizenship status.
“It should not be forcing those Windrush pioneers still affected through the High Court and Court of Appeal in its defence of the failings of the compensation scheme. It should adopt the full recommendations of the Wendy Williams lessons learned review.”
The Home Office has previously said it is “committed to righting the wrongs of Windrush”, having paid or offered just over £72.5 million in compensation by the end of April this year.